


Stuck on You

by Redamber79



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Anal Sex, Complete, Cullen was never a full templar, Dorian wears panties, Double Date, Evelyn is a menace, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Gay Sex, Homophobic Language, M/M, No addiction, POV Alternating, Rimming, Shameless Smut, Switching, Top Cullen Rutherford, Top Dorian Pavus, latin for Tevene, misuse of magic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2019-12-07
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:48:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21677017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Redamber79/pseuds/Redamber79
Summary: Cullen is a professor who teaches Ferelden language and Military History when he meets Evelyn Trevelyan, his downstairs neighbour who tricks him into returning a rather intimate piece of laundry to her roommate, Dori. He did not expect Dori to be short for Dorian Pavus, the University's new Librarian and keeper of magical arcana.
Relationships: Dorian Pavus/Cullen Rutherford, minor Iron Bull/Evelyn Trevelyan
Comments: 12
Kudos: 64





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> To Nickelkeep for beta-ing, thank you!
> 
> And to everyone at The Herald's Rest Discord, this has been a blast!

Cullen yawned as he waited for the dryer to finish, blinking blearily in the morning light that even the basement laundry room let in, through windows high on the walls. Mornings were not his favourite and he grumpily nursed his coffee as he waited for the machine to stop. He felt horribly underdressed, used to wearing slacks and dress shirts, perhaps with a sweater vest in the cooler weather. Today was laundry day, however, and he was stripped down to yoga pants and a black tank that had seen better days. He'd just emptied the dryer and moved his second load of wash in to dry when a cheerful "good morning!" startled him. Glancing over his shoulder he spotted the lovely young woman from the floor below him and gave a half-hearted wave. She grinned as she tossed a single sweater into the dryer and started it up.

"It's a cool one out there, hope you're not going anywhere like that!" she commented sassily, casting an appreciative eye over him as he blushed. He rubbed at the back of his neck, aware that the fabric on his shirt did little to conceal his muscular form and the pants were even worse.

"Not likely, no. But here's why I'm dressed like this on my day off," he commented, jerking a thumb at the washing machines and sifting through the freshly dried pile for a hoodie.

"Fair enough. I'm Evelyn Trevelyan by the way, in 7B. You're in 8B, aren't you? Quiet, I can appreciate that. Sorry if my roomie and I have kept you awake."

"Cullen Rutherford. And no, you haven't. I've three siblings though, so I'm used to being able to sleep through just about anything." Evelyn nodded her understanding and stretched, and Cullen cast his eyes aside, a little flustered. He wasn't certain if she was trying to thrust out her chest that way, but he had a distinct lack of appreciation for the female form. 

She grinned at him and he knew she'd noticed his bashful evasion. She’d definitely done that on purpose, and just to see his reaction! If she were hoping for a sweaty-palmed come on, she was to be sorely disappointed. As though she could hear his thoughts whirring, Evelyn winked at Cullen and gave a little wave.

“Time for me to head out! Nice chatting with you Cullen.” She bent and retrieved her sweater from the dryer, threw it on with a contented sigh. “Mmm, toasty warm. Ought to last me until I get to Bull’s. Catch you later!”

He glanced up as she passed him, his eye catching on the back of her sweater where a pair of royal blue lace panties had adhered to the wool. He thought about leaving it be, then sighed.

“Evelyn! You’ve got… static. Um, there’s a pair of underwear stuck to your sweater,” he stammered through the explanation, and she sighed, reaching back and pulling them free. 

“Not even mine. Look, my soulmate has big plans for us today and I’m running behind. Could you _please_ be a darling and get these to my roomie? Please? I’ll send a text to expect you so it won’t be weird, I promise.” Cullen hesitated, then sighed again. 

“Alright. You’re in 7B, right?” he confirmed and was caught flat-footed when she hugged him enthusiastically. 

“You got it! Dori’s there, and like I said, I’ll text to explain what’s going on.”

Cullen patted her shoulder awkwardly, giving her a shy smile. “Alright.”

She shoved the panties at him and he dropped them into his basket immediately, not about to be caught fondling some strange woman’s underwear. He went back to his sudoku, refusing to contemplate the odd chuckle Evelyn let loose as she darted out the door and up the stairs.

***

Evelyn: _incoming naughty package, open the door! And happy birthday!_

Dorian Pavus was lounging on the couch when the message came in, and he grinned at his phone and shook his head. Life was always interesting as the best friend of one Evelyn Trevelyan and when you added The Iron Bull, her bouncer boyfriend-slash-soulmate with the Ph.D. in sociology, her insight was often deadly.

In this case, he simply waited for the knock, assuming she’d ordered something to cheer him up in his single life. It had been far too long since he’d had any kind of fun, and she knew it. He wondered what she’d bought? Maybe it was that Bad Dragon dildo he’d been eyeing, though she’d teased him mercilessly at the “gaudy” colours he favoured. _They can’t all be grey and gargantuan,_ he’d teased her back, having seen more of Bull’s assets than he cared to.

It was nearly an hour later when there was a knock at the door, and Dorian rose leisurely from the couch, stretching as he crossed the living room. He opened the door without using the peephole and was struck dumb for an instant at the sight of the golden adonis before him. Tall, blond curls nearly to his shoulders, with golden-brown eyes that had widened in surprise when they fell on Dorian, full lips saved from perfection by a scar trailing from the top one up towards his cheek, and glasses perched on the end of his nose. He wore black yoga pants that were edging on a size too small, a tank with at least one hole in the hem, and a hoodie that appeared to be thrown on for comfort rather than style. Their neighbour from one floor above, one that Dorian had been lusting after from afar for two months.

Under one arm the gorgeous man carried a laundry basket and in his hands… _fastas vas, I may strangle her yet!_ Dorian mused to himself, spying the blue lace.

“Was there a problem with the fit?” he asked cockily, trying to save his dignity at having the man out of his very graphic fantasies show up at the door with a pair of his panties in hand while he stood there in black jeans and nothing else.

“I… what?” the blond stammered, then glanced down, seemingly only just realizing the article of clothing he held was not designed for a woman’s body. “Maker’s breath! That woman!”

Dorian grinned. “Dainty, a personality as forceful as a hurricane, lovely, and you want to throttle her?” The man nodded helplessly. “Evelyn Trevelyan is an acquired taste, but as a roommate she’s… delightful and awful at the same time. May I have my underwear, please? And shouldn’t you introduce yourself, seeing as you’ve been fondling my panties?”

The man blushed brilliantly red, and wet his lips nervously. “I swear to you, this was all a misunderstanding.” He thrust the panties into Dorian’s hands and made to bolt. 

“Dorian Pavus of Minrathous University, just transferred to the University here where my preferences won’t have me fired. And you are?”

***

Cullen froze. Pavus, he knew that name from the register at the university where he taught Ferelden and military history. This was the new librarian and keeper of magical records. Rubbing a hand over the back of his neck in a habitual gesture he’d been trying to break for a decade, he held out his hand to the man, trying to look him in the eyes as he stood there in tight black jeans and no shirt. The flash of gold rings at his nipples was highly distracting and Cullen felt heat climbing his neck.

“Cullen Rutherford. I suppose Evelyn has done us a favour. I teach Ferelden and Military History, so I’ll be referring my students to your sanctum frequently.” Dorian took his hand and shook it firmly, and Cullen fought not to react to the spark he thought he felt. 

Dorian reached out again laid a hand on Cullen's arm, unfortunately, while still holding the panties. Cullen was no saint; he couldn’t help but picture them on the man. He could feel his face heating again with a blush and tried again to politely make an escape when Dorian spoke.

“Would you care for a coffee, Cullen?” he offered, and Cullen nodded, defeated and intrigued in spite of himself. 

“I… Yes, please. Give me a minute to take my laundry upstairs?" Cullen asked, only to see an odd flicker on Dorian's face.

"Of course! I'll see you again in just a moment then…" the man said far too jovially, and Cullen felt compelled to reach for him. His hand was halfway across the space between them when he drew back. 

"A few minutes then." Cullen turned and jogged for the stairs, knowing it would be faster for one flight than taking the elevator. He reached his door without incident and entered to discover his phone ringing. For a moment he debated ignoring the incessant ringing, then he sighed and answered. "Hello?"

"Cullen," a gravelly, familiar voice spoke over the phone. "Good, I thought I'd missed you. Staff meeting."

"Dr. Greagoir, of course. How soon?" Cullen asked, diving into his laundry basket for suitable clothes for work. _So much for coffee._

"Within the half-hour." There was a rustle of paper as the Dean of the Ferelden department paused. Cullen kicked loose his yoga pants as he set his phone to speaker and dropped it on the couch. "We spoke of this over the summer, Cullen."

Cullen froze, dropping the slacks he'd picked up. _Literally caught with my pants down…_ "You're retiring now? Sir, I thought I would have more time, are you certain--"

"I've had a heart attack, Cullen. It's longer than I thought I'd have when I walked away from the Templars and the addiction. But it's time for me to retire and leave the moulding of young minds to younger bodies."

"Sir!" Cullen searched for the right words. "Are you alright?" 

"Certainly, son, but my doctor is most insistent. As is my soulmate." He chuckled softly, like gravel cascading merrily down a hill. "Well, Wynne has never been the patient sort for foolishness."

Cullen chuckled, having met the kind, but formidable mage on several occasions. "Far be it for me to draw down her wrath on my head, or yours. I'll be there in approximately twenty minutes, sir."

Making a quick farewell, Cullen dressed carefully, leaving his more casual shirts behind and going for his closet. He hated the more formal attire but pulled out the suit he wore for fancier work functions. Today qualified. Slipping into a pair of dress shoes he ran his fingers through his hair and swore. He pulled a brush through his curls desperately and vowed yet again to chop them back to military length. Tying his hair back with an elastic, he knew he'd do no such thing. His long hair had become something of a symbol for him and his near-miss with the addiction afforded by the Templar following.

Scooping up his phone and his keys, he quickly locked up and jogged for the stairs. Taking them carefully, cursing the slick leather soles of his dress shoes, he made short work of the flight back down to Dorian's apartment. Knocking quickly, he checked the time and grimaced. He was running behind.

"There you are, I--" Dorian's words stumbled to a halt, his grey eyes taking in Cullen's changed appearance. "Slipped into something more comfortable, have you?" he asked teasingly, but his previously pleased expression was now shuttered, closed-off behind a mask of amusement.

"I've been called into work. But I want that coffee. May I give you my number, Dorian, for another time?" Cullen pleaded, putting on his best puppy-eyed look. He had a feeling Dorian had expected him to bail, and under any other circumstances, he wouldn't. But this promotion was impossible to pass up; he owed Greagoir too much.

Dorian crossed his arms and Cullen winced at the closed-off posture. 

"Please, Dorian. Though I must say I don't know when I'll have the time, I'm being promoted to Acting Dean of Ferelden. Dr. Greagoir is retiring rather sooner than expected. I owe him this. He… He saved my life."

"Oh, very well. Here." Dorian took Cullen's phone and tapped out a text, then sent it. His pocket chimed, and he handed back the phone. He pulled his own from his pocket and read in feigned surprise, "What's this? 'Dorian, I owe you dinner!' Well, if you insist. Where are we going?"

Cullen let out a low chuckle and threw the dark-haired man a wink. "Leave that to me. Obviously, I have impeccable taste since I had the good sense to ask you out," he teased. "But for now, I've got to run." Greatly daring, he leaned in and dropped a light kiss on Dorian's cheek. "Until later."

He drew back and threw him another wink, watching as Dorian's hand lifted to touch the spot he'd kissed, then he jogged for the elevator. He'd just stepped through the doors when his phone chimed.

Dorian: _you're going to be trouble aren't you?_

Cullen chuckled softly.

Cullen: _and if I am?_

Dorian: _I like trouble._

****

Cullen staggered home late that evening and carefully hung up his suit. There were several people who were convinced he hadn't earned his place, but he'd been here as long as Dr. Greagoir, if not in the same role. Ah well, there was a reason it was to be an acting position until he could prove himself or until someone new was hired for the position permanently. Checking the clock, he pulled on a pair of lounge pants and grabbed his phone. He quickly ordered a pizza from the local delivery place, then opened his messages, finding several from Dorian, and smiled. 

Dorian: _my boss called me to rant about yours retiring. Considering he's done nothing but complain about the man, I'm rather surprised to hear that they're actually the best of friends._

Dorian: _he did have good things to say about his replacement though, despite his youth. Twenty-eight, he said? So accomplished so young._

Dorian: _you said Ferelden, yes? That explains how long this is going on. I was called into work to run the library while Irving attends that celebration in someone's honour._

Cullen smirked, dropping onto his couch with a cold beer in his hand.

Cullen: _interminable speeches and I was expected to make one of them. I do hate being put on the spot._

Dorian: _you give speeches all day for your classes, do you not?_

Cullen grinned.

Cullen: _not the same at all and you know it, Dorian._

Dorian: _if you insist. So what brings you home so late?_

Cullen: _speeches, paperwork, politics. I loathe the lot of it._

Dorian: _you poor man. However will you survive?_

Cullen snorted a laugh, then his phone rang. He buzzed in the pizza delivery and took the last swig of his beer.

Cullen: _as long as pizza is still delivered and beer still cold, I believe I'll manage._

There was a long pause and Cullen took the time to grab a new beer. A knock sounded at his door and he crossed the living room to answer it. At the last moment, he realized he hadn't put on a shirt, but shrugged. 

He opened the door, only to find Dorian holding a pizza box. 

"You could have just invited me up, though if there are olives on this pizza, this is over before it began." Handing Cullen the receipt which clearly showed 7B, Dorian stepped into his space so Cullen was forced to either retreat or end up with an armful of gorgeous man. Somewhat panicked, he stepped back.

"I'm so sorry, I swear I didn't mean to…" Cullen apologized, and Dorian grinned.

"But are you willing to share? I'll have you know, I had to fight a small but feisty woman and a 400-pound qunari for that pizza,” Dorian commented as he glanced around, then he turned back and raked his eyes over Cullen's half-naked form. "Do you normally open your door shirtless? Not that I'm not grateful for the view."

Cullen chuckled, running his hand over the back of his neck. "Payback for you answering your door that way this morning?" he suggested and was rewarded with a full-throated laugh from the other man. _Beautiful…_

Suddenly Cullen was overwhelmed with an image of kissing his way up that throat, tasting those lips, and he turned away with the food and made for the kitchen quickly, lest his sudden arousal become glaringly obvious through the thin cotton of his pants. Unfortunately, Dorian followed closely and Cullen crouched before the fridge, hoping the frigid air would cool his ardour.

"Would you like a beer, Dorian?" he offered, glancing over his shoulder and regretting it instantly. Dorian was bent over, lounging over the island and resting on his elbows, and Cullen was again taken with a fantasy, this one rather more graphic. Shaking his head, he stood with a beer in hand and offered it to the librarian.

"Am… am I intruding, Cullen? You seem out of sorts." Dorian took the beer hesitantly but refrained from opening it. He met Cullen's look squarely and Cullen stepped closer, into his space.

This close, Cullen realized he was a scant inch taller than Dorian, and it seemed too good an opportunity to pass up. Moving slowly, he set his hands on the counter to either side of Dorian's hips, watching as he smirked in response, giving Cullen a hungry, challenging look from underneath his dark lashes. Leaning in slowly, so Dorian could pull away if that was what he wanted, Cullen brushed the other man's lips with his own, feeling the smile still in the curve of his lips. There was a jolt as the world shifted and Cullen nearly staggered. Drawing back a moment to search Dorian's eyes, Cullen saw only amusement and arousal and gave himself an internal shake. Licking his lips lightly, Cullen watched as Dorian's eyes dropped to his mouth, his pupils growing large with want. 

His soulmate. He'd found his soulmate!

"Fasta vas, man, _do_ something!" Dorian goaded him suddenly, and Cullen pulled the other man into his arms roughly, drawing a gasp from him that he used to great effect in plundering Dorian's mouth. Cullen felt as though his skin were suddenly aflame, a low burn that teased and grew, and it followed Dorian's hands as they roamed over his chest and across his back. Groaning into the heat of the other man's mouth, Cullen scooped him up by the thighs and carried him to the couch, where he turned and sat, pulling Dorian down to straddle his lap. Dorian leaned back, stripping himself of the grey Henley he wore in one smooth motion, then immediately bent to Cullen's mouth again, a slick slide of lips and tongues, their hands searching out little spots that brought breathless sighs or low moans.

Breaking the kiss with a gasp, Cullen fisted his hand in Dorian's dark hair, tilting his head back to attack his throat, covering it with kisses and bites as he moved from the point of his jaw down to his collarbone. Dorian moaned softly at the rough treatment, and Cullen chuckled softly, digging his short, blunt nails into his sides just slightly. As Dorian cried out, his head falling back to reveal the column of his throat again, Cullen grasped his hips and rocked up against him.

"Sweet Maker!" Cullen gasped, the friction on his aching cock a blessing and a curse. Dorian ground down into his lap, then rolled his hips forward, his jeans rough against the skin of Cullen's stomach. 

"So eloquent, my dear professor. Was there something you wanted, perhaps?" Cullen groaned at Dorian's words, shaking his head in frustration.

"No pretty speeches, not now. Let me fuck you, tell me I can…" he growled, sucking a mark over Dorian's collarbone.

"Kaffas! You've talked me into it," Dorian told him with a sharp nod, then bent and kissed Cullen again, nipping at his scarred lip and rolling his hips. 

Bracing himself, Cullen stood, wrapping Dorian's legs around his waist as the man gave a startled oath at being manhandled so easily. Cullen made his way down the hall past his office and pushed open the door to his bedroom with his foot. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> smut

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks nickel!

Dorian wasn't the type to swoon ( _not without good reason anyway_ ), but being lifted effortlessly by the man of his dreams ranked high on the list. Being kissed within an inch of his life was a tie, particularly a kiss that hummed and buzzed over his skin in a way he'd never felt. Being carried twenty feet down a hallway to a bedroom that carried the scent of the man's cologne and set gently on a plush bedspread that smelled of the man himself, well, how could Dorian resist?

Not that he had any intention of doing so.

As Cullen made to move to one side, Dorian rolled swiftly with him, catching him off-guard and pinning the blond to the bed. He slithered down the bed, kissing his way across the broad, muscular chest before him. 

"Are you certain you're a Ferelden teacher?" he teased, laving his tongue over a nipple, then sucking on the sensitive bud until it stood on end and Cullen was gasping underneath him, clutching at his hair.

"Maker, Dorian, that feels good!" Cullen moaned, his hips bucking lightly underneath Dorian's weight, both of them groaning at the brush of Cullen's cock against Dorian's abs. "And you're one to talk. Are you sure you're a librarian?"

Dorian chuckled low and soft, and move across Cullen's chest to tease the other nipple, already taut in the cool air of the room. He rolled the first lightly under the pad of his thumb and glanced up through his lashes. "Do you trust me to let me try something, Cullen?"

Cullen met his gaze, his eyes dark with arousal, his lips swollen and flushed pink where he'd bitten them. He nodded quickly, his curls spread out on the pillow like a wreath around his head. 

"I didn't tell you my specialty at the university. Librarian and--"

"And the keeper of magical records, I know. I take it you're trying to tell me you're a mage?" Cullen guessed with a smile.

Dorian grinned. There was no fear in the man, only an intrigued look and heat. Dorian sat back on his haunches, letting Cullen see what he was doing. He let the tiniest touch of magic flow between his thumb and forefinger, letting it spark slightly with electricity, then licking his fingers, reached to pinch his own nipples. The light tingle of his magic danced over his skin and his back arched.

"Maker, Dorian, look at you. Touch me, _please!"_ Cullen pleaded, then held up a hand. "Wait. How is a piercing going to be affected?"

Dorian's eyes skipped up to Cullen's bare ears, and he knew intimately that neither his tongue nor his nipples were pierced, so that left…

"Fastas vas, are you trying to stop my heart with these images you're putting in my head?" Dorian demanded, deliberately rocking down against Cullen's still-clothed cock. "And just a slightly stronger tingle is all that a piercing should cause."

Cullen's eyes darkened further, his pupils blown wide with desire and he groaned out a low _"please,"_ even as he rocked his hips up against Dorian's ass. Dorian started to bring his fingers to his mouth again, but Cullen caught his wrist and drew it down to his own lips. His tongue flicked out and traced over the tip of his finger, circling slow and lazy even as Dorian drew in a sharp breath. Dorian tugged lightly, and Cullen smiled up at him, the curve of his lips full of mischief, then the wet heat of his mouth engulfed two of his fingers, sucking and setting a spark aflame in his gut as though a string were pulled taut between his fingertips and his groin. Every slow suck jolted him again, and he whimpered as his cock swelled further, trapped inside his far too fashionably tight jeans.

Cullen's free hand reached up and his thumb brushed over Dorian's left nipple, teasing and rubbing gently, then pinching lightly and tugging, the doubled assault on his senses fanning the heat in his gut and causing it to spread like a wildfire through him. He groaned low and guttural, and Cullen smirked up at him, the scar above his lip pulling slightly with the smugly satisfied look. Dorian pulled his wrist free at last, trembling slightly as he brushed his hand slowly over Cullen's chest. 

A low tingling followed in the wake of his fingers, and he watched as Cullen first squirmed, then as he reached his nipples, positively writhed for him, his body dancing under Dorian's magic, his cock jolting away from his body and leaving a wet spot on the front of his pants that slowly spread as Cullen panted, his hands fisting in the sheets. His body twisted on the bed as Dorian reached down and toyed with both nipples at once, and Dorian was rather quickly losing his focus as the gorgeous man trembled under his touch.

"Dorian, Dorian, _fuck!_ You're wearing far too many clothes!" Cullen complained, reaching for Dorian's belt and pulling it open with a practiced flick of his wrist. Pulling the leather through the loops with a snap, Cullen tossed the belt aside and reached for his fly. Undoing it quickly, Cullen froze suddenly, staring up at Dorian with a shocked look.

"Cullen? What is it?" Dorian asked, uncertain. And in that moment he found himself flat on his back with Cullen looming over him, his would-be lover having used the moment's distraction to reverse their positions and now sat grinning down at him. 

"Military history, remember? Always attack when least expected." He bent and licked his way over Dorian's nipples, first one then the other, teasing and tugging the rings lightly until Dorian was throbbing with need. Even as Dorian cried out, his mind hazy, Cullen was deftly stripping his jeans and tossing them aside. There was a sharp intake of breath and Dorian shook his head to clear it, looking up at Cullen to see what had caused that reaction. Cullen sat on his haunches and was looking down at him hungrily, his eyes on the teal silk panties Dorian wore. A low growl escaped his throat and Dorian shivered at the feral sound, pulling Cullen down to him to bring their lips together again. Cullen was excruciatingly gentle, each touch holding the barest whisper of strength, every caress leaving Dorian aching, desperate to be pinned, taken, ravaged. Finally, he couldn't stand it any longer and snaked a hand between them, reaching for Cullen's cock and stroking it once, twice through the cotton pants. The firmness of multiple piercings pressed against his fingers and he groaned in anticipation.

Cullen shuddered at his touch, his eyes wild, and Dorian smirked. "You made a request in the living room. I'm starting to wonder if you intend to follow through, darling."

Cullen snorted a laugh, then squirmed down on the bed, nuzzling and rubbing his cheek against Dorian's cock, pulling a gasp from him at the slide of silk pulling taut, rubbing over his guiche piercing and sending a zing of pleasure through him.

"Are you terribly fond of these?" Cullen asked, fingering the silk gently for a moment, then tugging it tight so it trapped his balls and dragged along the cleft of his ass.

"They're a bit of a trial to launder, why?" Dorian asked.

"No reason," Cullen replied, then set his teeth lightly on the edge of the band, tugged them down an inch. His stubble brushed against Dorian's hip bone, making him shudder and Dorian watched as Cullen rolled his eyes up to look at him while he slowly worked the skimpy silk down, until his cock slapped free, bouncing against his stomach. Dorian let out a whimper and Cullen's eyes seemed to heat at the sound, the golden man deliberately turning to nuzzle against Dorian's cock. Dorian squirmed under his touch until a broad palm wrapped around his thigh from under his leg, holding him still as Cullen dragged his stubble across the sensitive skin at the juncture of thigh and hip.

Cullen slowly pulled the panties lower, shuffling down the bed on all fours until he was crouched at Dorian's feet, then with a final toss of his head, he pulled them loose from Dorian's body. Meeting Dorian's eyes under a lowered brow, Cullen slowly brought the silk to his nose and inhaled, his eyes fluttering shut for a moment before snapping open to lock on Dorian again.

"Fuck, Cullen…" Dorian swore, slipping into crude, common language for a moment as his cock released a droplet of precome, sliding along his length until it dripped to his pelvis. 

Cullen backed up further, moving to stand at the foot of the bed. "Oh, I intend to, Dorian, trust me." He slowly slipped his fingers into the waistband of his black lounge pants, pushing them down in one swift motion, leaving his cock standing proudly from his hips, and Dorian's eyes were immediately drawn to the row of piercings up the underside. A ladder, he noted, his breath coming faster. He imagined those ridges pushing into him and another small whimper escaped him, his legs falling open of their own volition. 

"Maker's cock, look at you, spread open for me." Cullen crawled back onto the bed and slowly made his way closer, kissing and nipping at the skin behind Dorian's knee, then switching to the other leg as he dragged his beard up his thigh. Dorian trembled at the touch, his body tensing in anticipation until Cullen suddenly grasped his hips and dragged him lower on the bed. Cullen bent and sucked on the loose skin of his balls and Dorian cried out in pleasure, his fingers tangling in Cullen's hair as he shook underneath him. Cullen drew back with a chuckle, his eyes a golden-rimmed black, and he bent to kiss his way lower. Dorian felt the moment he found Dorian's guiche piercing, that lovely growl sounding through the room and his hands tightening on Dorian's thighs. At this rate, he'd leave fingerprints behind, and Dorian couldn't wait.

"Cullen, see something you like?" he teased, then yelped as Cullen swiftly bent and sealed his mouth over the piercing, sucking hard then pressing it firmly with his tongue.

"Dorian, lube, top drawer…" Cullen instructed against his thigh, biting at the muscle and making Dorian jump. His inner thighs were always so sensitive before he came, and Cullen seemed intent on dragged every twitch and moan from him that he could. 

"Hands, give me your hand, Cullen," he panted, and when Cullen complied Dorian let a whisper of magic loose and slicked his fingers. "Won't dry out early," he explained, and Cullen grinned.

Cullen quickly bent to his task, teasing at Dorian's hole with his fingers, circling and pressing lightly, but always retreating. Just as Dorian was about to tell him to get on with it, Cullen's mouth sealed over his entrance and his tongue breached him, hot and wet and perfect, and Dorian cried out Cullen's name.

Cullen thrust his tongue into Dorian's body with a single-minded focus, his hands pinning his hips to the mattress when he squirmed too much. Cullen ate him out as though his very life depended on it, and Dorian rewarded his dedication with cries of pleasure he couldn't keep back, nor did he wish to. 

Finally, Dorian couldn't take anymore, and he began to beg. "Please, Cullen, enough. I need you in me, give me that fat cock, I want to feel every inch slide into me!"

"Oh, you will." Suddenly there were two fingers sliding into him, and he shouted in surprise and agonizing pleasure. Cullen plunged his fingers in and out of Dorian's body mercilessly, clearly intent on opening him more than getting him off just yet. He slid a third finger in almost before Dorian was ready, and he rode that delicious burn higher as his body adjusted. "Maker, Dor," he murmured, the pet name seeming to slip from his tongue unnoticed. "Look at you opening up for me. It's like you were made for me. I can't wait to sink into you, going to make you feel so good, love."

Dorian whined and writhed on his fingers, his body shaking with desire. "Cullen, _please!"_ He wasn't certain how much more he could take, even the incidental brushes against his prostate making his body tighten and his cock weep precome onto his stomach in fat drops.

Finally, _finally,_ Cullen withdrew his fingers from Dorian's body and slid his hand over his shaft, biting his lip as it jumped in his hand, the head red and straining, a spurt of clear fluid leaking from the tip and dripping to the bedspread. As Dorian watched, Cullen caught the next pearlescent drop and brought it to his lips, licking his fingers with a rapturous expression. 

Cullen bent then and nuzzled at Dorian's cock, the light touch making him twitch helplessly, his balls contracting for a moment as Cullen's tongue flicked over his slit and tasted Dorian in turn. Dorian moaned low in his throat at the touch and Cullen looked up at him with an impish smile. Next Dorian knew, his cock was engulfed in a scorching wet heat, and Cullen's tongue was doing wicked, sinful things along his shaft. He fell back among the pillows with a groan, his hands locked in Cullen's curls, his back arching.

Cullen sank down on his cock, swallowing until his nose was nestled in the cropped curls surrounding the base, then he pulled back an inch and sank down again, a wet gagging sound filling the room as he encouraged Dorian to move his hips. Helpless to disobey the wordless command, Dorian thrust up into the sucking heat of Cullen's mouth, losing himself in the rush of _hot,_ and _slick,_ and _tight._ Soon he was fucking Cullen's face, his hands gripped tight in his hair and a ball of heat tightening in his pelvis. 

"Cullen, _Cullen!_ Wait-- _kaffas!"_ Cullen drew back slowly, flicking his tongue over the tip one last time before dragging the back of his hand over his mouth, wiping away drool and precome with a smug smile, his face flushed. "Cullen, I want you to fuck me."

Cullen crawled up the bed and kissed him softly, languorously, as though they had all the time in the world, which, Dorian supposed, perhaps they did tonight. Cullen was carefully straddling him, deliberately keeping a small distance between them. He moved then, stretching out next to Dorian and pulling him into his arms, caressing him slowly as they kissed, soothing Dorian back from the brink. Dorian melted into his arms, his fingers exploring every curve of muscle, every hollow, every plane. 

"Dorian," Cullen breathed, shuddering, a wealth of meaning in his voice. Dorian tensed slightly, burying his face against Cullen's throat, unused to such tenderness in his encounters. He thought about leaving, emotional turmoil making him dizzy and uncertain, when Cullen their cocks in one large hand and began stroking them together.

_Calm down, Pavus, this doesn't have to mean anything!_ he scolded himself even as his body reacted. _Just because he's gorgeous and an amazing lover doesn't mean anything! Not like he's your soulmate…_ The thought was vaguely mocking as Evelyn's term for hers and Bull's relationship flitted through his mind. He concentrated on enjoying himself and the gorgeous man who was busily jacking them off together, letting himself get lost in sensation. A few minutes later he was panting, squirming as his cock brushed against Cullen's, the piercings rubbing up and down his length, and he could feel his body nearing the edge again.

"Fastas vas, man! Do you require an engraved invitation?" he groused, then pushed Cullen onto his back and straddled his hips. Cullen simply smirked up at him, his hands resting lightly on Dorian's thighs, his fingers idly tracing nonsense on his skin. Dorian bent and kissed him passionately, intent on stealing his breath and all sense, and he rutted back against his cock, moaning into Cullen's mouth when the head caught on his rim for a moment. 

Cullen tensed underneath him for a moment, then relaxed as Dorian moved away again. Cullen's eyes were dark with want, his lips swollen from biting back cries of his own and Dorian's kisses, his hair a mess. Dorian inspected him carefully, thoroughly pleased with the debauched display beneath him. He bent to Cullen's ear, murmuring softly.

"What happened to letting you fuck me, hmm? Is that a side effect of your work, I wonder." Dorian bit gently at Cullen's earlobe for a moment, relishing the gasp his actions wrought. "Is that it, Professor? Are you all words, and no action?"

No sooner were the words out of his mouth than Cullen flipped him onto his back with a growl, his hands pinned above his head. Dorian squirmed a moment and Cullen pinned his legs as well. His heart beating fast, Dorian stared up at Cullen in delighted anticipation and goaded him further.

"Are you stopping there? I believe I was told I'd feel every inch." Casting his eyes downward for a quick glance, he met Cullen's eyes again and breathed, "That's a lot of inches." Cullen groaned and there was a fumbling moment as he lined up with Dorian's entrance. The blunt head of his cock pressed against him, and Dorian's eyes widened. He'd had his hands on it, to be sure, but he hadn't realized quite how thick and heavy Cullen would feel at this moment. 

Cullen must have seen the change in his expression. "You still want this, Dor?"

Pinned as he was, he couldn't respond physically. Words would have to suffice. "Cullen, if you don't get that magnificent cock of yours in me this instant, I'm leaving and taking the pizza with me."

Cullen chuckled softly and nipped at his throat. "Cruel, you are."

"Me? You've been tormenting me for the last hour, now--" His next were lost in a deep groan as Cullen _finally_ pressed into him, a sheen of sweat breaking out over his body as he gasped. _"Kaffas, vishante kaffas!"_ he swore as he squirmed his hips, whether to escape or seek more he wasn't quite certain at that moment. Then Cullen slowly, achingly pressed deeper even as he released Dorian's legs, and Dorian responded by canting his hips and wrapping his legs around Cullen's waist. Dorian moaned as one by one he felt the piercings slip past his rim, until finally Cullen was fully seated, his pelvis grinding in small circles against his ass and pressing against his own piercing.

"Maker… Maker's fucking cock, you're tight, Dorian." He drew back bit by bit until only the head of his cock was still stretching Dorian open, then slid forward slowly. A few more thrusts and Dorian's body adjusted, and Cullen shifted his hips before driving back into him. The speed of the thrust caught him off guard and Dorian cried out, arching underneath Cullen and fighting to get his hands free. Cullen released him and Dorian wrapped his arms around Cullen's back, holding on for dear life as Cullen pounded into him fiercely, recklessly. Both men were groaning and shaking, and Dorian could feel his climax approaching far too quickly as Cullen bit at his throat, marking him.

Cullen lifted his head from where it rested against Dorian's throat, slowing his thrusts and moving to kiss along Dorian's jaw and across his cheeks. The tenderness caught Dorian off-guard again, and he blinked back tears as he pressed their lips together desperately, trying to recapture the place of heat and passion where he didn't have to think about all the maybes. He'd lost too much to think in terms of what he might have, and settled for the here and now.

Here and now however was troubling him, because Cullen refused to be goaded back to the passion that eclipsed all rational thought. Instead, he stroked his hands softly over Dorian's sides, a suddenly tender and solicitous lover, who murmured gentle words of praise into Dorian's skin as he traced the hollow of his throat with his lips.

"Cullen, harder, fastas vas, _please!"_ he pleaded, and while Cullen complied with a smile that Dorian felt against his skin, it was still not the hard and fast fuck Dorian wanted _(did he?)_ or at least was used to. There was something intimate slithering under his skin, and Dorian fought to lose himself in the slick slide. Finally, he pushed at Cullen until he drew back with a questioning look, and rolled them so Cullen lay on his back. Straddling his lap, Dorian sank back down with a shout as Cullen's cock nailed his prostate, and he began a hard and fast ride that quickly drove them both to the brink. Cullen was magnificent beneath him; his hands gripped Dorian's thighs as he thrust up to meet Dorian's every downward slide, his head thrown back on the pillow amid that luxurious shoulder-length hair, his mouth open in a wordless shout of ecstasy as he shifted to stroke Dorian's cock frantically, trying to bring him off before he exploded. It was a near thing, but that curling ball of heat in his gut that Dorian had been fighting for the last hour contracted and blew apart with a great cry, his body shaking as he came over Cullen's fingers and stomach. Cullen brought his hand shaking to his lips and licked away Dorian's spend with slow drags of his tongue, then slowly rocked into him again, chasing his own release. 

Dorian collapsed over his chest in a wave of fatigue, nuzzling against Cullen's throat in post-orgasmic bliss as the other man tensed, clutching at his back desperately as he thrust once, twice, three times more, then cried out Dorian's name.

In the haze that followed, Dorian was more than content to be cuddled in the strong arms that wrapped around him for a while, and eventually, they fell asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More smut, and feels, and questions...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks nickel!

Dorian woke with a start, alone. The pained stab he felt at that discovery troubled him, and he reached for Cullen's side of the bed. Still warm, so he hadn't been gone long. A quick glance at the clock on the bedside table showed it was half-past two, and he cringed to think of the fodder for teasing he'd given Evelyn and Bull. Cullen reappeared then, and Dorian's thoughts vanished like smoke as he took in the gloriously nude man before him. His hair was back in a tight ponytail, giving the illusion of being short-cropped, and the planes and angles of his features were clearly visible. Dorian's interest was further piqued by the water he carried, and he sat up quickly, only to wince at the uncomfortable feeling of their earlier activities crusting on his stomach and still leaking from his ass.

Cullen must have seen his reaction, because he handed over the water with a slow kiss, one that caught Dorian unexpectedly off-guard. He was used to intimacy before sex, less so afterwards. Cullen turned on his heel and headed for the ensuite bathroom, returning a minute later with a warm washcloth. Dorian reached for it, setting the water aside, but Cullen ignored his hand, and instead pushed him gently onto his back and stroked the cloth over his chest and stomach. Dorian gasped at the slow, sensual touch, his eyes widening as Cullen moved lower, stroking his cock clean carefully. Cullen smirked up at him as he began to respond to the touch, his cock chubbing up slightly with each gentle pass of the cloth. 

"Again?" Cullen asked softly, and Dorian groaned, pulling Cullen up to his arms, kissing him carefully, delicately. He tasted of mint, and Dorian sighed, knowing he himself must be something of a disaster at the moment. 

"Lose the hair tie, darling," Dorian suggested, and Cullen gave a low, sultry chuckle as he complied, shaking out his hair so it fell around their faces like a curtain. Cullen smiled against his lips as Dorian slid his fingers into the mass of curls, tugging gently to direct Cullen's lips to his throat again. Cullen laughed softly and nipped at his pulse lightly, teasing with teeth and tongue, and Dorian moaned softly for him, shifting under the other man's weight. 

"Dor, I don't suppose… that is…  _ mmph… Maker, you feel good!  _ Are you willing to switch?" Cullen murmured hesitantly and Dorian froze, surprised. Misreading him, Cullen began to backtrack. "It's quite alright if you don't, I only just wondered…"

"Yes!" Dorian blurted and watched Cullen's smile flash across his face like a sunbeam. His heart gave an odd little thump.  _ Never you mind, _ he told himself.  _ Pleasure, nothing more… _

With that thought firmly in mind, he squirmed out from under Cullen and straddled his back, kissing his way down his spine, stroking and caressing as he explored with his hands and lips what he hadn't touched previously. 

Cullen sighed contentedly beneath him, and Dorian gave a low chuckle. "Like a great cat being petted, aren't you?"

"Mmm… this does feel delightful." Dorian deliberately shifted, lining up his slowly thickening cock with the cleft of Cullen's ass and rolling his hips. Cullen tensed and gasped, and Dorian summoned more slick to coat his cock before sliding again along his ass. Shuddering, Cullen lifted himself onto his elbows, glancing back over his shoulder. "About bottoming, it's… it's not something I've done… Sweet Maker, don't stop!" he gasped.

Dorian ground down against Cullen's ass again, grinning. "Not something you've done often? I'll be gentle, darling. Unless you ask me nicely not to."

Cullen chuckled softly, then cried out as Dorian applied his nails down either side of his spine, nearly bucking Dorian off as he squirmed.

"Maker, Dorian, that's it. Mark me up!" Dorian bent and nipped at his shoulder, and Cullen turned his head, making room for Dorian's questing mouth. "But what I was saying," he whimpered, squirming as Dorian thrust against his ass again, his legs spreading apparently of their own will, "was I haven't done it before. Ever."

Dorian froze mid-thrust against his ass again, then he slowly, carefully pulled away. "Never?"

"I said so, didn't I?" Cullen muttered, dropping his face into the pillow.

“Oh, darling, I’m going to take such good care of you,” Dorian promised huskily. He squirmed lower, nipping at the curve of Cullen’s ass, and chuckled darkly as the man jumped. “I’m glad you told me, Cullen, and I’m honoured…”

“Maker, Dorian, it’s not that big a deal, is it?” Cullen asked, squirming, and Dorian grinned to see a blush flushing the back of his neck despite the dim light.

“It makes a difference in preparation, darling, and I’m certain there have been those who wanted to do this before me.”

“Perhaps, but none I’d trust,” Cullen said softly.

“And that you trust me, after such a brief acquaintance, honours me.” Cullen drew a breath, perhaps to continue arguing, but Dorian cut him off with a deft swipe of his tongue, down his cleft and over the tightly furled muscle and its dusting of blond hair, then down over his sac. Cullen cried out. “And has no one done this for you, darling?” Dorian asked teasingly, then bent to circle the tight pink ring with his tongue again. Over and over he lapped at Cullen’s rim until Cullen was trembling and mewling for him, his strong back and legs shaking with every pass of Dorian’s tongue. It was incredibly arousing, and gratifying as well, Dorian found, to reduce this glorious man to mindless lust. He forced himself to keep from rutting against the mattress, focusing on Cullen’s pleasure.

When Cullen began gasping his name, Dorian spread his cheeks with his hands and tugged at his rim with his thumbs, watching as the ring gaped for a moment before clenching again. Sealing his mouth over it in a kiss, Dorian thrust his tongue forward, humming in pleasure at the tight heat gripping at him. 

“Maker,  _ yes! _ Don’t stop, don’t stop, Maker that’s so good!” Cullen babbled, and Dorian gave a low chuckle, nipping at the tight skin gently.

“That’s it darling, deify me,” he teased, surprising a bark of laughter from Cullen which turned into another gasp as Dorian teased the tip of his smallest finger past the tight ring with no resistance. “Fasta vas,  _ yes!” _ Dorian swore, slicking his hand and pressing a forefinger in past the second knuckle. Cullen started to tense, but Dorian soothed his other hand over the swell of his ass and he settled. “How does that feel, Cullen?”

There was a pause, then a tentative, low, “Honestly, a bit strange, but it doesn’t hurt. I… is that usual?”

There was a hesitancy to the confident man that Dorian found terribly endearing, and he kissed his way over a cheek before nipping softly. “Fairly so. Give it a little longer, darling. Trust me. Turn over so you can see me,” he instructed, pulling back to give him room.

Cullen whined at the withdrawal, which Dorian deemed an excellent sign. A moment later he was resting again between Cullen’s thick, strong thighs, and he laid his cheek on one in a light caress. Dorian trailed his gaze up Cullen’s body, then back down, and wriggled a bit higher to take his cock in his mouth. He was partially hard, the uncertainty causing him to flag a little, but Dorian’s tongue and mouth swiftly brought him back to the edge. 

Dorian withdrew as Cullen began to thrust his hips unconsciously, and Cullen groaned. “Don’t tease, Dorian, please!”

“You, who teased me for more than an hour, ask me that?” Dorian gave a low growl, and sucked a dark hickey at the juncture of hip and thigh, pressing Cullen firmly down onto the mattress when he would have bucked upward. Cullen cried out his name, his cock jumping before Dorian’s eyes. “Now where was I?”

Cullen’s eyes widened, and Dorian circled his hole with two fingers, pressing lightly until both fingertips were in, then back out. He repeated this over and over until Cullen was squirming, trying to thrust down onto his touch. 

“Maker’s breath, more!” Cullen demanded, then suddenly Dorian had two fingers buried in him, sliding over his prostate like a bolt of electricity, though Dorian had no intention of using his magic there, not on someone as inexperienced as Cullen. Perhaps another time…

_ Another time? Might as well pick out curtains, Pavus. Enough foolery,  _ he scolded himself.

Cullen bucked underneath him as he stroked over the small spot again, and Dorian gave a low laugh. “There you are,” he breathed, and circled the spot carefully, only just brushing it lightly now and then. “Tell me if it becomes too much, alright?”

“If what becomes-- _ shit! _ ” Cullen exclaimed, and Dorian grinned.

“Not right now, please. I’m a little busy.” He stroked over the spot firmly again, suddenly determined that Cullen was never going to forget this night, even if he went on to bottom for a hundred men. Squashing the uncomfortable twist in his gut at the thought, Dorian focused all his energy on making this experience spectacular for the man squirming underneath his touch.

Cullen was trembling under him, begging and pleading for a touch to his cock, but Dorian was adamant. When Cullen began to reach himself, Dorian pinned him with a look. 

“Do I need to restrain you, darling, or can you behave? It will be worth your while, I guarantee it.”

Cullen gave him a challenging, smouldering look, but placed his hands by his sides again. Dorian shivered at the heat of that glance, thinking he’d have to goad Cullen to use his hands on  _ him _ with that mood taking him, but shook his head. He kissed his way along Cullen’s hip, and as a reward, or perhaps a torment, for behaving, flicked his tongue over the piercings lining his cock. He stopped to count, tonguing at each one in turn. 

“Why six?” he asked as he ascended the steel ladder.

Cullen blushed scarlet even as he gasped. “They’re… they’re spaced approximately an inch apart.”

Dorian pursed his lips and blew lightly over the head of his cock, watching it jump and twitch for him with a smirk. He watched carefully until Cullen seemed on the verge of scolding him again, then stroked his fingers over his prostate once more. Cullen threw his head back on his pillow with a groan, and Dorian grinned as the first drops of precome slipped down his shaft.

“Maker, Dor, do that again!” Cullen pleaded, a fine trembling setting into his limbs, and Dorian knew he was getting close. He circled his fingers, then thrust them over his prostate again and again, pressing firmly and sucking on his hip. A broad palm landed on his hair and gripped tightly, and Dorian groaned to see his other hand was busy fondling and pinching his own nipples in turn. 

“What, this?” he asked, pressing, again and again, circling then back to a light touch, until Cullen was quaking, babbling his name.

“Dorian, Dor,  _ fucking Maker! _ Andraste’s cunt,  **fuck!** Oh love, fuck, I’m--” A great shudder ripped through him, and he screamed Dorian’s name as he came, great spurts painting his stomach and chest. Dorian slowed his movements, coaxing Cullen through his orgasm, then gently removed his fingers, kissing his way over his hip. When Dorian nuzzled at his still hard cock, Cullen stared down in disbelief. 

“Prostate orgasm, amatus,” he explained. “Bit different, wouldn’t you say? Do you want to stop?”

“Maker, no!” Cullen blurted, and Dorian laughed softly.

“Didn’t think so. Be a darling, turn over. It’s easier for the first time.” Entirely true, but more to the point, Dorian wasn’t certain he could stand the tender look on Cullen’s face much longer, not without cracking himself.

Cullen turned with such alacrity that he nearly kneed Dorian in the head, but when both men were comfortable again, Dorian began kissing his way up Cullen’s spine to lay along his back. Resting his weight on one elbow, he reached down and teased his cock head over Cullen’s entrance until he was squirming and swearing, none-too-kindly. Finally, Dorian lined up and pressed lightly against his rim, and Cullen shuddered, rocking back against him. Dorian moved with him, back and away, until Cullen reached back and grasped his hair, pulling him in for a deep, throat-swabbing kiss despite the awkward angle. Stiffening in surprise, Dorian was caught unsuspecting when Cullen slammed his hips back, and both men cried out as Dorian’s cock slid halfway into Cullen’s needy hole. Dorian froze, his hands slapping down on Cullen’s hips, then he slowly pulled back and then thrust forward, taking his time and gently pressing deeper, until finally, his hips slapped against Cullen’s ass. All the while Cullen was moaning his name, writhing and crying out beneath him.

“Hand, hand!” Cullen ordered, and uncertain, Dorian slipped his fingers through Cullen’s. He fell forward against his back again as Cullen buried their entwined fingers under the pillow, stretching them out in a close, intimate pose that thrilled and terrified Dorian. Suddenly Cullen pulled his hand to his mouth and began kissing over the knuckles, and the casual, easy affection was suddenly too much. Gently removing his hand from Cullen’s grasp, he moved back to rest on his knees and pulled Cullen up to all fours.

“Forgive me, darling, but I need that hand now…” he explained softly, then reached beneath their bodies and began jacking Cullen in time to his thrusts. Soon he was pounding into him, spurred on by Cullen’s cries and moans, the professor devolving into absolute filth as he demanded Dorian fuck him harder and faster with every breath. Finally Dorian abandoned his task of stroking his lover and grasped both hips, pistoning into him as sweat dripped from his brow. Cullen cried out again, sharply, and suddenly Dorian’s cock was held in a vise-like grip as the golden man tumbled over a second time. 

“Oh, Maker, no more, I can’t…” Cullen whimpered, his voice broken and cracking. “Wait, don’t stop, please!” he begged as Dorian began to withdraw. “Can… Can we move? I don’t think I can take another at this angle, it’s too much. But I want you to come in me.”

Dorian groaned, falling over his back and kissing his spine. “How could I resist such a lovely request?” Pulling out slowly, he let Cullen turn again and kissed him softly. Cullen grimaced suddenly, and Dorian pulled back. “Problem?”

“Wet spot. Ugh.” Cullen’s distaste was clear, and Dorian rolled off him and to the side and tugged on him until Cullen was facing him. Laying on their sides facing each other, limbs tangled was such an intimate position that Dorian couldn't help himself, he brushed Cullen's hair back from his face tenderly. Cullen gave him a soft, sweet smile and Dorian leaned in, kissing him gently.

Hooking Cullen’s leg over his hip, he wormed his way a little lower until he could manoeuvre where he wanted to be and took his cock in hand once again.

“Ready?” Cullen nodded and Dorian slid slowly into his pink and puffy hole, swallowing his whimper with another gentle kiss. He took Cullen’s leg and held under his knee, spreading him wide and began a slow, rolling thrust even as Cullen snaked a hand between them and began stroking himself. Cullen’s lips searched out his own and Dorian gave in, kissing him back softly, tenderly, putting all his usual fears aside and letting himself think “ _ maybe.” _ This wasn’t Tevinter, after all. Maybe…

He rolled his hips, again and again, catching Cullen’s whimper and buried his face against the blond’s throat, murmuring in Tevene and clutching at his broad shoulders as he finally spilled over the edge. A moment later Cullen was clenching around him again, come splashing hot between them. 

Cullen rolled him to his back, and kissed him deeply, then rested his forehead against Dorian’s.

“Thank you… Let’s get a shower and some sleep. Come,” he suggested, and Dorian grinned.

“What, again?” He stretched luxuriously, and Cullen laughed softly as he pulled him to his feet. 

“Shower, perhaps a piece of pizza, fresh sheets, and sleep. I’d hate to think what tomorrow would be like if either of us had to work tomorrow morning. Or rather,  _ this _ morning.” Cullen shuddered, his eyes on the clock, and Dorian turned to look. Nearly four, ugh. 

Just the thought of the hour made Dorian sag, and he stumbled after Cullen into the bathroom. The bright lights were unforgiving and they stared at each other for a moment, then chuckled over scratches and marks that were obvious in their origin. They showered quickly, trading soft kisses under the warmth of the water, then Cullen slipped out to remake the bed while Dorian finished up. A few minutes later Cullen returned and slathered some gel-like product through his hair. Dorian grinned and opened his mouth to tease, but Cullen stabbed him with a gimlet eye and he held his peace. For now.

They crawled into bed together and Cullen turned out the light. Just as he was drifting off, Dorian heard Cullen speak again, murmuring against his hair.

“Dor, what does “amatus” mean?”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the morning after. enter Bull and Evelyn.
> 
> more smut (get used to it)

Cullen felt Dorian tense and turned to face him. "What is it, love?"

Dorian's eyes flashed wide in the dark of the room. "When… did I?"

Cullen brushed a curl back from Dorian's forehead and then tangled their fingers together. "A term of endearment, may I hope?"

"You might say that," Dorian muttered, hiding his face against Cullen's chest. 

"Are… are you alright, Dor?" Cullen whispered, stroking his hand down Dorian's back, all sleepiness fading in a wave of concern.

"We've only just met, you and I. I'm curious where this is going," Dorian murmured, and Cullen felt his heart clench. He mulled over his words a moment, then spoke carefully.

"Dorian, love. You're my soulmate, I can't imagine not making a go of this." Dorian's head jerked up, nearly clipping Cullen's chin, and he stared at Cullen. "Does Tevinter… do  _ you _ not believe in soulmates?"

Dorian shook his head, but Cullen sensed that it was out of dismay and surprise rather than disbelief. "There's… you  _ do  _ believe, I take it?"

"Dorian, you just asked me if I believe that water is wet. You told me Evelyn and her boyfriend are soulmates, what about that?" Cullen demanded, getting more agitated by the minute. He turned and flicked on the bedside lamp, then turned back to Dorian. Cullen took a moment to inspect his lover, and his tone softened. "Beloved, you're in Ferelden, at the premier university as a librarian. There are many studies about soulmates, it's verifiable. I don't know what went on in Tevinter, but here it’s simply accepted as fact. Not many people find theirs, it is true, but… love, it's real."

Dorian shuddered, and Cullen pulled him into his arms, feeling the mage tremble with an overflow of emotion, for good or bad. "My father tried to have the courts rule me mentally unfit so he could perform a blood ritual to make me straight.  _ That _ is how  _ accepting _ Tevinter is of LGBTQ, much less what is referred to as the myth of soulmates. Darling…" he seemed to hesitate, his words muffled against Cullen's chest. He raised his eyes and Cullen found he was weeping silently. His heart ached for his soulmate and he brushed away his tears tenderly, even as more fell.  _ "Amatus."  _ He spoke softly, but intently, and Cullen knew that this time it had been no slip of the tongue. His heart swelled in his chest. "This isn't my country, not yet. But… but perhaps it is my home."

"Dorian…" Cullen whispered, overcome with emotion. Dorian's head came up and they found each other's lips, Dorian's tasting of the salt of his tears even as he clung to Cullen desperately. Cullen stroked his hands through Dorian's still damp hair and down his back, pulling him closer to pillow his head on Cullen's chest. "Sleep, my love. We can speak more in the morning. After breakfast." He started to reach for the lamp, but Dorian stopped him. 

"Leave it for a bit?" he asked, his voice small and tentative. He refused to meet Cullen's eyes until Cullen pressed two fingers under his chin and gently turned his head.

"Anything." Cullen stroked his fingers gently over Dorian's brow and kissed him softly. "We'll talk more in the morning."

Cullen held Dorian until his breathing evened out, until he finally couldn't fight the exhaustion any longer and he slipped into sleep.

***

Cullen woke quickly, his years of defending himself from the pranks of his siblings, and then five years in the Templar cadets before he left the order behind for good meaning that when his eyes snapped open, he was fully awake and aware.

The pillow beside him was empty and his seeking hand found the sheets and blankets were cold. Dorian had been gone from his side for some time. Throwing back the blanket Cullen stood, wavering as his body reminded him of the rather energetic activities of the night before. He pulled on the lounge pants he’d left on the floor and stepped out into the hall, where he could suddenly smell coffee. Listening carefully he heard humming, a catchy but unfamiliar tune, counterpoint to the scrape of metal on metal.

Rounding the corner into the kitchen, he found Dorian,  _ his soulmate! _ scrambling eggs and frying bacon. Toast popped from the toaster as he took in the scene of domesticity, and his heart gave a thump as he realized that when he’d woken alone, he hadn’t expected to find Dorian still in the apartment.

“Be a darling, fetch some plates?” Dorian called over his shoulder. “I’m afraid I started cooking without grabbing all the necessities. And if you’re the type of heathen to put ketchup on your eggs, I’ll eat in the living room where I don’t have to watch it.”

“Perish the thought. How do you like your coffee, Dor?” Cullen asked with a smile, pulling plates and mugs from the cupboard and pouring coffee. He sweetened his own and added a drop of cream, then watched bemused as Dorian stole his cup and took a great, scalding swallow.

“Perfection, amatus. How did you know?” Dorian asked, not looking up from the pan of eggs.

Cullen bit back a snort of laughter and answered wryly, “Just a lucky guess.” Smiling, he fixed up the second coffee the same way and returned the cream to the fridge. “How did you not burn yourself, by the way?”

“Ice charm on the tongue. Cools down the coffee enough to keep from scalding.” He cast Cullen a smouldering, challenging glance, raking his eyes over his naked torso. “Has another application I can think of sharing with you as well.”

So could Cullen.  _ Maker’s breath! _ He willed his arousal to leave him, focusing on the heat of the coffee, the smell of food cooking, and the warmth of having his soulmate here with him. Suddenly, he needed to be closer to Dorian, to feel the mage’s touch, to  _ know _ this was real.

“Might I have a kiss?” he asked softly, setting his coffee aside, and Dorian gave him a glance full of amusement.

“So uncertain, darling?” he teased, then smiled softly. “I’m sorry you woke without me, I found I couldn’t sleep any longer, so I got up and skyped my other best friend, Mae. She was not impressed by being woken, but she’s thrilled to hear about you. I didn’t dare text Evelyn any details, though with the apartment just below us, safe to say that unless she and Bull went back to his place after I left, they know bloody well what went on.”

Cullen blushed slightly but pulled Dorian into his arms all the same. “You were rather vocal,” he replied with a teasing grin, only to have to catch Dorian’s hand as he attempted to swat him for it. 

“Me? Who was begging to be fucked harder and faster at nearly four A.M.?” Dorian protested, all ruffled dignity and ire. “It wasn’t I screaming  _ your _ name, after all.”

Cullen kissed him soundly, waiting until Dorian had melted against him before finally drawing back. “True enough. That was at eleven.” Before Dorian could protest, Cullen was kissing him again, pulling the mage firmly against him and turning off the stove. Dorian squirmed against him in protest for half a second, then his arms wrapped around Cullen, caressing his back and up into his hair. Cullen groaned softly as his lover’s nails raked gently up his scalp, and Dorian pulled back with a smug expression, only slightly marred by his kiss-swollen lips forming a bit of a pout.

“Maker, Dor, I want you,” Cullen breathed against his lips before making his way down his throat, dropping gentle kisses to his collarbone. “This is crazy, how badly I want to throw you over my shoulder and carry you off to the bedroom to have my way with you.”

“Do you now? Well, darling, it’ll have to wait until after breakfast, unless you want me to accidentally set the curtains on fire,” Dorian pointed out with a raised eyebrow, and Cullen chuckled softly.

“Point taken.”

They sat at the breakfast bar, their knees brushing, talking of inconsequentialities as they ate. Cullen refilled their coffees and grinned as he handed Dorian the second mug. Dorian sipped before noticing, then eyed the mug he’d had previously in Cullen’s hands. Cullen leaned forward and kissed him softly, then sat back to take a sip. Dorian grinned, catching on, a faint blush showing even under his olive skin. Cullen found it adorable but knew better than to say so.

“Soulmates are truly accepted here, treated as fact, not fiction?” Dorian asked suddenly and Cullen swallowed his food before answering carefully.

“Absolutely. Arranged marriages have been called off without hard feelings when a soulmate is found, though among the upper crust there are often punitive dealings for the loss of other connections.” He snorted. “Politics. I positively hate them.”

Dorian grinned, flashing white teeth under his meticulous moustache. "You'd never make it in Tevinter, darling. Everyone plays politics there."

Cullen felt a smile pulling at his lips. "I never said I  _ can't  _ play politics, simply that I despise it." He hesitated a moment, then shrugged. "Are you alright? You seemed … shaken last night."

"Cullen, please understand. This has no bearing on my regard for you, it's simply that I was raised to believe southern tales of soulmates to be … fairytales. I never expected to meet mine. I scarcely expected to meet someone I could care for at all, not in terms of a relationship. In all honesty, I barely know what to do with this. In Tevinter anything between two men is for pleasure, nothing more. It's why I left, I wouldn't play the game, marry the girl."

Cullen nodded, trying to keep up. "Are you saying you left a broken-hearted woman behind, abandoned at the altar?" he teased lightly and was rewarded with Dorian's rich laughter. 

"Hardly. A rich widow who was still hoping for a son to become a magister and bring her power, if anything. I'm afraid I'd be rather ill-suited to providing an heir though, hence my father's attempt at a blood ritual. I found out what he was up to and I left." 

"Could… could blood magic really change you like that?" Cullen shuddered and took Dorian's hand in his, needing the contact to remind himself that his soulmate was with him and safe.

"Perhaps. It might have also left me a drooling vegetable. Come, let's finish our breakfast and then we'll see about your earlier suggestion."

Cullen nearly choked on his coffee, swallowed, then retaliated. "I'd much rather we try yours. What was that ice charm good for?" He was rather proud that his voice was only a little strangled as he spoke. He watched as Dorian's lovely grey eyes darkened and smirked at his lover.

Dorian threw back the rest of his coffee and reached for Cullen. He went willing into his lover's arms, their kiss starting softly, tentatively as they were still learning each other's bodies. Soon enough though it turned heated, and Cullen groaned against Dorian's lips as Dorian teased his nails down his back, sparking little flashes of pain that only aroused him further. Cullen tugged Dorian to the couch and stretched out, pulling Dorian down into his arms and caressed his hands down his back before sliding one hand between them to tease at a nipple, tugging on the ring lightly.

Dorian gasped above him, searching out his lips in another scorching kiss that made his head spin. Hooking one leg behind Dorian's knee, he palmed his ass, grinding up against his lover, the firm cock against his own leaving no doubt they were on the same page.

Dorian's jeans dug in against him almost painfully, and Cullen reached for the fly, making short work of the button and zipper, only to find Dorian had skipped the skimpy, green silk panties of the night before. Growling softly at the discovery, Cullen pushed Dorian upright and into the opposite corner of the couch, stripping him of his jeans and leaving him bare against the leather. He bent to take Dorian's cock in his mouth, swallowing as deeply as he could. Dorian gasped above him, one hand fisting in Cullen's hair and their fingers twining with the other. Cullen raised his head and watched Dorian's face carefully as he flicked his tongue over the head and kissed down the shaft. His soulmate's head was thrown back, the long column of his throat exposed as he succumbed to Cullen's demands upon his body. Cullen played with his balls gently, carefully, then he reached down and pressed lightly at Dorian's entrance. A tease, a reminder. A question. 

Dorian moaned. 

Cullen licked his fingers and was reaching to stroke them over Dorian's rim again, his mouth and tongue busy tormenting his lover, when a knock sounded at the door. Cullen groaned, drawing a gasp from Dorian, as his mouth was still occupied, and Dorian bucked his hips, tempting and teasing all at once.

"Ignore it, amatus, we're busy," Dorian suggested quietly, canting his hips and thrusting lightly into Cullen's mouth. Cullen hummed softly and Dorian shuddered at the vibration, the first drops of pre-come dripping onto Cullen's tongue, tasting of salt and musk. 

Cullen wiggled his fingers at Dorian who caught on quickly, slicking them with that magical substance. Again Cullen stroked over Dorian's rim, teasing gently until Dorian was stifling his cries against the back of his hand. Another firmer knock sounded and Cullen fought back a growl. He reached up and hauled Dorian's hand away from his mouth just as he slid two fingers into him, crooking them deftly. Dorian cried out his name, and Cullen popped off his cock with a slurp.

"With any luck," he murmured hoarsely, "they'll bugger off now."

He licked his way down Dorian's cock to suck on his balls and was squirming out of his thin cotton pants when the door inexplicably opened. 

"Vishante kaffas! Evelyn Trevelyan, this is really too far!" Dorian shouted, and Cullen peered over the back of the couch to see Evelyn standing there looking smug. Accompanying her was the largest, most intimidating Qunari Cullen had ever seen, with great horns that stretched straight out to the sides before turning upward at a sharp angle like a bull's.  _ Ah, The Iron Bull, _ Cullen surmised,  _ the bouncer with the Ph.D.  _ He tucked himself back into his pants carefully.

Dorian continued. "Just because you've got the hulking brute along doesn't mean you can simply barge in--"

"Break in," Cullen murmured, knowing he'd locked the door in the middle of the night.

_ "--Break _ in wherever and whenever you like!" Dorian was magnificent in his ire, his features twisted in a frown of disgust at his friend's daring, though the two culprits seemed unfazed by his anger. Rather than worry about his soulmate having to squirm back into the tight jeans, Cullen tossed the throw blanket that rested on the back of the couch onto his lover's lap, and Dorian stood, quite unashamed, wrapping it around his waist casually. "What excuse could you possibly have for breaking in here like this?"

Evelyn bounced.  _ Bounced  _ in apparent excitement. "Meeting your soulmate of course!" she exclaimed, hugging Bull's arm against her side and grinning up at him. The giant Qunari smiled down at her, and Cullen was surprised to see the tender expression on the fierce, scarred face. As they stepped closer, Cullen sent Dorian a wink.  _ Later, _ he mouthed, and Dorian pouted, scooping up his jeans and stalking to the bedroom. The door slammed with great finality, and Cullen winced. Sighing and stroking his hands through his hair, Cullen stood. 

"Coffee? And I take it you spoke to Mae?" he asked, busying himself in the kitchen. Washing the magical slick from his hands took some doing but finally scrubbed clean he managed to pour two mugs of coffee and set them on the counter. Pulling the sugar out and cream from the fridge, he set them before the couple. 

"We did. This serves him right. He thinks I didn't see that superior sneer whenever I called Bull my soulmate. And it serves him right because no one deserves to be happy like he does. You take care of him, alright? He's the first friend I made when we moved here, and loyal to a fault. I won't see him hurt. He's never not come home, so when he wasn't there when we got back this morning, I wanted to check on him. He wasn't responding to my texts either." Evelyn's expressive face fell, looking pensive for a moment before she hid behind her coffee.

"You were worried about him," Cullen filled in, and she nodded. "I'll see if I can pull him out of his sulk. Give me a few minutes." He stooped and collected Dorian's shirt from the floor and walked back down the hall to the bedroom, only to find it locked.

He knocked softly and waited.

"What?" 

"Are you going to let me in, or have you laid claim? I still want the right side of the bed though."

"You think this is funny?!" Dorian snarled through the door.

"Dorian, please don't take out your frustration with your friend on me. Open the door, love."

A moment later it clicked open and Cullen stepped through, gathering his arguments. His brain short-circuited however when he discovered his lover had pulled on his jeans and rather than wait on his shirt, raided Cullen's closet and now wore Cullen's favourite hoodie. It was huge on the mage, and Cullen felt a possessive lust surge through him. Dorian was still ranting, but Cullen simply closed the door behind him and stalked towards his pacing lover. 

"And another thing--" Cullen interrupted him with a searing kiss, then walked Dorian backwards to sit him on the bed. Dropping to his knees, he quickly unfastened his fly and pulled out his cock. "Fastas vas, Cullen, you think she won't barge in here?"

"Let her," Cullen retorted as Dorian squirmed out of his jeans again and spread his legs, allowing Cullen to haul him to the edge of the bed and attack him with his mouth. He had the mage mewling in moments, and Dorian reached for the hem of the hoodie. "No! Leave it on, Dorian," Cullen ordered.

"Like that, is it?" Dorian grinned, then pulled up the hoodie just enough to slip his hands underneath and up to tug on his nipples.

Cullen gave a low growl of approval, but apparently not quiet enough, because there was a deeply voiced, "called it" from the living room, and then the TV was turned on at a volume that could only be called 'blaring'. Dorian muttered about "making themselves at home"; Cullen had no intention of dragging this out, however. 

He sank down on Dorian's cock though it was only half-hard, and hummed softly as the mouthful grew until he was gagging. Sliding back he dove forward again, letting his cock hit the back of his throat and slide deeper, until he was swallowing around the head, struggling to breathe even as Dorian cried out above him. He pressed his fingers to Dorian's still slick hole and gently worked two, then three into him. Every cry ramped his arousal higher, and he reached down to stroke himself through the thin pants he wore. 

"Cullen, Cullen, fuck!" Dorian gasped, and Cullen popped off his cock to respond, breathless and desperate. 

"That a request?" he asked, his voice hoarse from the pounding his throat had taken. He licked his way down to suck on Dorian's balls again lightly and his lover twisted and trembled on the bed.

"What do you think?" Dorian squirmed higher on the bed, away from Cullen's teasing fingers and mouth, and flipped over onto his stomach, sticking his ass in the air and wiggling it in Cullen's face. Just in case Cullen were completely blind  _ and _ an imbecile, he reached back and spread his cheeks, making his hole gape and clench.

"Maker's cock!" Cullen swore, stripping quickly and climbing onto the bed.

"No, darling, just yours!" Dorian panted, reaching back and slicking Cullen's cock with a deft twist of his wrist. Cullen groaned at the touch and lined up, barely giving either of them a moment to breathe before thrusting into Dorian hard and fast, a pace that only picked up as Dorian wailed for him. He wrapped a hand around Dorian's cock and stroked him in time to his thrusts, the hot clench of Dorian's body bringing him to the edge at a blinding speed. 

"Cullen, amatus, I'm so close!" Dorian gasped and Cullen bent over his lover, grinding into him as he nipped at Dorian's throat. 

"Maker, Dorian, you love my cock, don't you? Made for it, for me. That's it, milk it, lover, oh fuck! Andraste's weeping cunt, that's good!" Cullen muttered against Dorian's throat, grunting as he plowed into him, then crying out as Dorian's body seized around his, his cock jumping in his grip as he came in heavy spurts over the bed. Cullen thrust again and again, his balls tightening and his gut throbbing with need until he exploded with a shout. He slowly thrust through his orgasm, even as Dorian moaned beneath him, and they found each other's lips, kissing slowly, softly. 

Dorian sighed against his lips, kissing him tenderly. Cullen slid carefully from his body and curled up next to his soulmate, pulling him into his arms. Dorian turned towards him, tucking himself under his chin, and chuckled. "Did I hear a door?" he asked, kissing his way over Cullen's collarbone and throat, then reaching up to kiss along his jaw. 

"I've no idea," Cullen replied. "I may have been preoccupied." He listened for a moment, but couldn't hear anything over the TV in the living room. "I'm not certain I like the idea of them leaving the door unlocked. I'm completely certain that your friend's ability to break into my apartment unsettles me even more."

Dorian sighed. "Beastly as the woman is, she won't abuse it. She truly must have been worried. Though if they spoke to Mae, they should have known I was alright. I'll have a chat with her. She won't do it again."

Cullen pulled him closer, relishing the feel of his strong body against his own. He slid one hand into Dorian's hair, ruffling it into further disarray as the mage growled at him, then pulling him in for another kiss. They stayed there, wrapped up in each other for several more minutes, then Dorian grimaced slightly. Cullen grinned and pulled his knee up around his hip, then slid a hand down his spine to curve teasingly over his ass. Dorian squirmed slightly under his touch and Cullen rolled onto his back, pulling Dorian with him to lay across his chest. He stroked his hands sensuously up and down Dorian's back, kissing him slowly and nipping at his lip. Dorian melted.

"Shall we just stay here, amatus?" Dorian breathed, tangling his fingers in Cullen's hair. "No outside world, no expectations, simply the two of us and this bed? And perhaps the shower later, if you're lucky." Dorian's tone was light and teasing, but a glint in his eye made Cullen's mind wander to hot water cascading over his lover as he swallowed him down, and he growled, rolling them on the bed to slot a thigh between Dorian's legs and kiss him passionately.

Dorian responded enthusiastically at first, then pulled away, frowning. 

"Why am I always the one in the wet spot, Cullen?" he demanded, and Cullen gave a low chuckle.

"We'll put down a towel next time," Cullen promised, nipping at his ear lightly and Dorian gasped.

"How terribly practical of you," Dorian teased, tilting his head back with a sigh as Cullen sucked a mark over his pulse. Cullen moved slowly down over his chest, laving at his nipples, tonguing the piercings until Dorian was sighing and carding his fingers through Cullen's hair. Cullen pulled back to crouch over him.

"Roll over, love, out of the wet spot." Dorian rolled onto his stomach, settling himself comfortably and peering over his shoulder. Cullen dropping a gentle kiss on one cheek and smacked the other firmly. Dorian gasped, his head lolling on his neck, and Cullen's pulse jumped. "I'll be right back, love."

He pulled on his lounge pants then opened the door and stalked out to the living room, startling Evelyn and making Bull laugh. "Cullen, how's it going?"

"Dorian thought you'd left. Double date for dinner, my treat," he declared, crossing his arms. Bull took the hint and hauled Evelyn up off the couch as he stood. 

"Sure thing, see you later." Bull dragged Evelyn from his home, mildly protesting until Bull tossed her over one shoulder, narrowly missing impaling her on his horns. She smacked her palm down on his back, with as much effect as a fly landing on his shoulder. Cullen closed the door, locking it and tossing the deadbolt, then turned off the TV and made his way back to the bedroom. Opening the door he found Dorian smiling sleepily at him, a towel from the master bathroom folded on the end of the bed, a spare blanket from the closet spread out to replace the soiled one now tossed to the floor.

"Join me, amatus."

Cullen stepped out of the lounge pants, watching as Dorian's eyes darkened even as he pulled back the blanket on his side of the bed. He smiled softly.  _ His side. _

He liked the sound of that.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> double date with Evelyn and Bull

They woke again about three and Cullen dragged Dorian into the shower. There wasn't much room, and Cullen swore to himself that one day they would have all the room they needed. For now, he simply pulled Dorian into his arms and soaped his back while pressed chest to chest, then turned him in his arms and caressed his hands down his chest and over his stomach, worshipping the olive skin with his hands even as he murmured against his ear. 

Dorian laid his head back against Cullen's shoulder, his hands linked with Cullen's as they slid slowly, sensuously over his skin. He gasped softly as they stroked over the rings piercing his nipples, and Cullen felt a shudder run through his body. He glanced down over Dorian's shoulder and saw Dorian's cock responding, even as he felt his own swelling. 

Nipping at his lover's earlobe, Cullen's voice dropped to a low growl. "Maker take me, I want to fuck you against the wall, but we haven't the time. Or the space."

Dorian groaned in his arms, sliding their joined hands lower, cupping himself and giving a sharp tug. Cullen growled against his throat, biting hard enough to leave a mark and spun him in his arms. Kissing Dorian breathlessly, Cullen's fingers dug into the muscles of his back, pulling him close as they fought to keep their balance. They made out passionately, hands grasping as they riled each other up and then teased each other back down, gasping and full of laughter. Cullen spun them to rinse his own hair free of conditioner as Dorian's hands roamed lower and lower. Cullen was moaning his name, his head thrown back, when the water suddenly went frigid and they sputtered and fought with the tap, shutting off the water and shivering. They shared a glance and started laughing again, then Cullen leaned in and kissed Dorian softly. 

"Maker, Dorian… I…" he whispered against his lips. The next words caught in his throat as he stared into those storm-grey eyes, full of laughter and lust and affection. Surely… words spoken in the midst of passion were one thing, surely it was too soon to say… He ducked his head against Dorian's throat and kissed over his pulse, then dragged his stubble across his skin, sending the mage ducking and laughing as he tried to escape. Stepping out of the shower quickly, Cullen grabbed two towels, tossing the first in Dorian's face before wrapping the other about his waist.

Dorian growled a Tevene curse at him again as he fought his way free of the soft grey towel, then flicked the end at Cullen's ass with a snap. Cullen dodged quickly, grabbing a second, smaller towel and wrapping his hair as he ducked out of the bathroom. 

"Where are we going for dinner, then?" Dorian asked and Cullen smiled softly.

"Burgers or pasta for those two?" he asked, drying himself quickly. His hair would take the longest to deal with and he moved back to the bathroom as Dorian slipped out to get dressed. "You can borrow clothes if you like, even if it's just to get downstairs for something fresh."

"Nevermind that, darling," Dorian replied with a shake of his head, "my clothes were hardly on me long enough to get soiled. And burgers will be fine, though pasta sounds lovely for another time." 

"That date I owe you then?" Cullen teased, brushing out his damp curls and deftly pulling his hair back in a tight french braid. Slipping his glasses on, he walked out of the bathroom again and dropped a kiss against Dorian's bare shoulder. "Herald's Rest it is. Have you a car, or am I driving tonight?"

"Unfortunately when I left Tevinter it was without my car. And I can't exactly call up my father and demand it be shipped, as he doesn't know where I am." Dorian stepped out to the hall as he spoke, his voice fading and growing stronger again as he returned with his grey Henley from the night before.

"Up to me then. Don't bother fussing too much with your hair, but perhaps pocket a comb for once we get there."

Cullen walked past his lover to the front entry and started rummaging in the closet. Dorian came up behind him and trailed his fingers over his shoulders as he slipped on his shoes. "Be back in a moment darling, I simply need a change of clothes."

Cullen turned and straightened from his crouch with a pair of Doc boots in hand. "What time do you start in the morning? You could stay tonight and I could give you a lift…" Cullen rubbed a hand over his neck, suddenly shy. 

Dorian stepped into his space and kissed him softly. "I start at eight, which is a positively ghastly hour, I'll have you know. With so many students with classes all day you would think the later coverage would be needed more. I'm certainly going to mention it to Irving."

"My first lecture is at eight-thirty, I don't mind being there a bit early to set things up," Cullen explained, even as Dorian shook his head. 

"Last thing I want is for you to think I'm using you, Cullen," Dorian protested.

"Maker's balls, Dorian,  _ use _ me! You're my soulmate. Let me do this for you, and you can return the favour when I need some special research help for my classes." Cullen grinned and Dorian burst out laughing.

"You are glorious. Very well. Give me five minutes and I'll return. Try not to miss me too much."

"Do you think dinner will suffice as a thank you to Evelyn for setting us up?" Cullen asked as he opened the door.

"You could always get her a fruit basket; everyone loves those."

****

Dorian returned a short time later, hesitating at the door before he knocked. He was reaching for the handle uncertainly, trying to decide if he should let himself in when the door opened and Cullen tugged him inside. Slamming the door shut and locking it, Cullen raked his eyes over Dorian's outfit, his eyes heating at the tight fit of the shirt and the waistcoat he'd added. The black slacks were nothing special, but Cullen seemed to appreciate the way they clung to his thighs. 

"We've about twenty minutes before we need to leave, you told Evelyn and Bull that we're going for burgers?"

"Indeed, I did. Herald's Rest awaits." Cullen dragged his gaze over Dorian again, and Dorian shivered, the look sending goosebumps over his skin. 

"No getting ideas, amatus, we haven't the time to play. But if I might put my bag in the bedroom and hang up the shirt I've brought for tomorrow. I do detest looking rumpled."

"Pity, because you look absolutely delectable when you're rumpled, love," Cullen observed, nibbling along Dorian's open collar and pulling him close.

Dorian's head thunked back against the door as his lover teased and tormented him, and Dorian slid his fingers lightly up the nape of Cullen's neck. He tried to slide them into Cullen's hair, but the tightly bound braid allowed no slack and Dorian pouted, sliding his hands back down Cullen's spine instead. 

"Enough, Cullen, we really--" he broke off with a while as Cullen's thigh pressed between his legs, and Dorian found himself fighting a losing battle against his lust as Cullen teased and tormented him. 

"You were saying?" Cullen asked with a smirk as he drew back, his lips swollen and pinkened. 

"I was saying that unless you want me to bend you over the couch and fuck you senseless, you'll let me put my clothes away. We can play after dinner, amatus, but it isn't wise to let a mage get too hungry. Not with flammables such as drapes or such around."

Cullen's eyes darkened at the threat. "I'll eat light," he commented, his voice a husky growl as he pinned Dorian to the door with hands and hips. Dorian spun them deftly, working his way over Cullen's collarbone and sinking his teeth in lightly. Cullen groaned, fisting his hands in Dorian's hair and pulling him up for another passionate kiss.

Dorian kissed him back like a man drowning, and Cullen his only source of air. After several minutes, Dorian's phone chimed and he stepped back, breathless and wanting. "Kaffas, Cullen, we need to go. I'll stay here. I don't trust that we'll leave again if I follow you into the bedroom." Shoving his bag into Cullen's hands, he stepped out of the way, letting his lover pass him by with only a hungry look. 

Cullen returned a minute later, stalking towards Dorian with a predator's grace in his jeans and a burgundy dress shirt with the sleeves rolled to the elbow. The braid bound his hair so tightly that is appeared to be cropped close to his scalp, giving Dorian a view of the sharp jaw, the cheekbones, the full lips the only softness. A breath across his cheek and Cullen was in his arms, their lips meeting tenderly, unable to resist stealing another taste before they left.

Dorian pulled back. "Come, darling. Evelyn and Bull will be waiting for us."

Cullen took his hand and they left the apartment, Cullen taking care to lock the door behind them. Dorian chuckled softly and received a mock-ferocious look from his lover, but that simply amused him further. He tugged Cullen playfully along to the elevator, pressing the button then leaning against Cullen's shoulder, cuddling close. Cullen stroked his hair softly, gently, and Dorian felt a lump rising in his throat. The elevator dinged cheerfully as it arrived and Dorian turned to escape the vulnerable moment.

"So, what sort of practical car are you driving, Cullen? It seems to me most professors are driving Volvos or Hondas these days. Perhaps a Toyota." Cullen burst out laughing as he followed Dorian into the elevator, and he hit the button for the parking level.

"I'm afraid you'll be disappointed, love," he chuckled, shaking his head. He refused to say anything further, simply hummed an old song as they waited for the elevator to descend. There was something familiar about the tune, though Dorian could quite place it. The doors opened again with a cheerful chime and then entered the dimly lit garage. Cullen led the way, stopping between two spots. Dorian stared. 

"You drive a pickup truck?" he asked, eyeing the rough Dodge Ram, coated liberally in mud. Cullen snorted and waved his keys.

"Why would I need a truck?" he demanded with a teasing smile, then bent and opened the door to the car in the next space. Dorian's eyes widened. 

"This?" Stepping into the comfortable, worn leather seat, Dorian sat back with a smile. Cullen shut the door and rounded the front of the car, sliding behind the driver's seat.

"Just like the song, a '65 Mustang," he replied with a grin. Dorian looked at him questioningly, and Cullen rolled his eyes.  _ "Mustang Sally, oh you better slow that mustang down!"  _ he sang, his voice growling over lower notes in a way that shivered down Dorian's spine. 

"Now that you've destroyed my expectations of professors, shall we go?"

Cullen pulled out of the spot and headed for the exit, circling up to the ground floor. Finally, they were out in the open air, and Dorian reached for the visor to shield his eyes. Flipping it down, he glanced over at Cullen, who had rolled down the window and propped his elbow on the door as he drove. 

"What did you drive, then, Dor? If this is so surprising?"

Dorian felt a flush heating his cheeks and was glad Cullen's eyes were on the road. He rolled down his window and hoped the fresh autumn air would cool his face. "My father bought a car for me, before our falling out. He felt a Pavus ought to have a status symbol. He also thought I'd be grateful enough to entertain his folly."

Cullen glanced at him and frowned. Turning back to the road as the light turned green, he took a left and pulled into a parking lot on the right, next to a pub with a sign proclaiming it The Herald's Rest. "Enough teasing, what was it, a Maserati?" 

"Ugh. Very well. A Bugatti Chiron." Dorian felt his ears and neck warm as the blush spread as he revealed the car his father had bought, thinking somehow the symbol of wealth and hyper-masculinity in Tevinter would change him.

"You were an archivist for the University of Minrathous and drove a Bugatti?!" Cullen exclaimed in disbelief, shutting off the car and turning to face Dorian squarely.

"Says the man driving a Fereldan muscle car!" Dorian protested.

"My car is a classic, thank you, and I bought it for a fifth of the annual maintenance cost of yours!" Cullen pointed out.

"Well, if those are the only details you care about…" Dorian sulked, sticking out his lower lip in a pout. Cullen slid across the bench to kiss him softly, teasing and nipping at his lip.

"It's a three million sovereign car. Speaking of impractical."

"Yes yes. But it was fun to drive," Dorian retorted, trying again to slide his fingers into Cullen's hair and grumbling as the braid defeated him.

Cullen chuckled softly, nuzzling against his throat, and Dorian sighed in contentment as he let his head fall back against the leather. 

"Why not bring the car and sell it?" Cullen asked softly.

Dorian stiffened and Cullen pulled back. His golden-brown eyes flashed in the fading sunlight, and Dorian shook his head.

"Too easy to trace. And my father kept the title in his name. I suppose if I'd stayed and married the widow as he wanted, he'd have signed it over to me." He shrugged, uncomfortable with the line of conversation, and Cullen reached for him, laying a gentle touch on his wrist. 

"You've sacrificed very much to follow your heart, to be true to yourself." Dorian squirmed, distressed by the praise he felt he hadn't earned. 

"Enough of that, amatus, shall we head into the restaurant?" Cullen pulled him in for another sweet, gentle kiss and Dorian melted against him. Suddenly the door opened and only Cullen's arm grabbing him kept him from falling out the door. Staring up at Evelyn's mischievous smile, Dorian growled. Disentangling himself from Cullen, he reached for Evelyn, who skipped out of range.

"No zapping!" she protested, running to hide behind Bull, who had just come up beside her, his grey eye on the car. Bull grinned and Dorian curled his hands into fists, snuffing his magic.

"Really, Dor?" Cullen asked as he climbed out and leaned over the roof. "You were going to use  _ that _ on her?"

Dorian glanced over and had to grin, Cullen looked so discomfited. "Different intensity, amatus. Definitely punitive, not pleasurable."

"Kinky," rumbled Bull, and Dorian fought to keep from reacting. Something about Bull always set his teeth on edge.

Cullen locked the car and came around the end, wrapping an arm around Dorian's shoulders and nuzzling at his earlobe. "We should try that again."

Dorian gave a low, warm chuckle, smiling as Cullen's eyes narrowed. "Enjoyed that, did you?" Cullen pulled him closer, sliding his arm down Dorian's back to his waist and fitting them together tightly. Dorian gave a low growl then dropped his voice to a salacious whisper. "Not just my fingers where I can focus that spell." 

"Maker, Dorian…" Cullen muttered, tangling his fingers in his hair and pulling his head up for a kiss. Dorian found himself pressed against the side of the Mustang, Cullen's mouth devouring his. Dorian leaned into the kiss, snaking his fingers under Cullen's shirt and caressing his sides.

"Think we need a bucket of water?" Bull asked, and Dorian edged back slowly, gentling the kiss until he could pull back and look up into Cullen's eyes. Cullen leaned his forehead against Dorian's, breathless and desperate. 

"You promised me food, amatus," he teased and saw Bull jolt in surprise from the corner of his eye.

"'Amatus', is it? You  _ are _ serious," Bull commented lightly and Dorian shrugged, looking Cullen in the eyes and smiling softly.

"Well yes. After all, he's my soulmate."

***

They wandered into the pub and quickly found a table on the second floor, away from the worst of the crowd. There was a singer entertaining below that Dorian had seen there before, Maryden, who had a pleasant voice, though the music wasn't always to his taste. 

Bull had been sidetracked by a group of his employees on the way in and stopped to buy a round before joining them, meanwhile, Cullen had been waylaid by two of his students, their pleas for a tip on an assignment gaining volume and intensity until he was dragged him off with an apologetic glance over his shoulder. The waitress brought their beer and took orders for appetizers while they waited for their soulmates to return.

"Just as well, Dorian. I don't think I'd have gotten your attention for more than a few seconds if we didn't separate you two," Evelyn teased and Dorian gave her a haughty look.

"As though you weren't as bad when you and Bull met," he retorted, raising his glass and taking a long drink of his dark beer.

They bantered back and forth as Evelyn grilled him about Cullen, and Dorian found himself able to answer most of the questions she asked.

"Cullen!" she called past him, and Dorian turned to see his amatus just reaching the top of the stairs. With a wave he joined them, pulling out the chair next to Dorian and sitting, throwing his arm around his shoulders again. "Dorian's favourite colour!"

"No idea," Cullen replied easily with a shrug. "We've been speaking of our families and aspirations, rather than smaller… details." Scooping up his beer he took a long drink and sighed happily, then set the pint down again. "I know his two best friends are you and Maevaris, that he's an only child with an asshole for a father, his mother is too busy being a socialite to pay attention to the fact that Dorian is no longer five years old, and he's an incredible lover."

Dorian shrugged, nodding. "Mother'd be dragging me out by my ear if she saw me in such a place," he confirmed, ignoring the blush that tried to fill his cheeks at the last comment.

Bull appeared with another round in hand and Cullen asked Evelyn his own question. "How did you and Dorian meet anyway? We can't all meet through the foibles of dryers and lace panties," he teased, watching as Dorian blushed. 

"Yes, announce it to the bar, please. I'll never be able to show my face again," he complained into his beer and Evelyn snickered.

Evelyn shrugged. "We were seatmates on the plane from the Free Marches to Ferelden," she explained, and Dorian groaned at the reminder. He really did have the worst luck. He had to agree the story was mildly amusing, if only it had happened to someone else.

By the time Evelyn got around to the part about the turbulence and Dorian vomiting all over the awful flight attendant, Cullen and Bull were in stitches and Dorian was mortified.

"Airsick?" Cullen murmured, wiping at his eyes as he tried to control his laughter. "You couldn't have chosen a better target, from the sounds of it, love."

"Awwww… Bull, look, they're being adorable again!" Evelyn cooed, and Dorian quickly forgave Cullen his laughter when he flipped her off and kissed him soundly.

The waitress came back with their appetizers and they quickly ordered their mains, digging into the food before them like a pack of wolves. 

"We missed lunch," Dorian commented. "What is your excuse?"

"Same. Probably the same reason, too," Bull offered, wiggling his brows and running his fingers through Evelyn's long brown hair. 

Cullen chuckled. "You had a nap?"'

"Is that what they're calling it these days?" Evelyn teased, elbowing Bull as she winked at her lover. He threw back his beer and poured another from the pitcher, topping up Evelyn's drink as he did so.

"You know something, Kadan? You got an ass that won't quit. I just… just wanted to tell you that."

Cullen choked, coughing and snorting with laughter as Dorian passed over some napkins to clean up the spilled beer. Evelyn simply grinned up at her enormous lover.

"You sweet-talker." 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Smut, love confessions

Several hours later, they dragged Bull out with the help of his employees, who were still carousing downstairs, and offered to take him home. Since it was doubtful that Cullen, Dorian, and Evelyn would be able to get him out of Evelyn's car, the Chargers piled him into the back of Krem's SUV, and they waved him off.

Evelyn was following in Bull's car, so they bid her a good night, and Cullen led Dorian back to his car. Cullen tugged him close, slinging an arm around his shoulders and nibbling at his earlobe. Dorian squirmed slightly under his attentions, but his arm was tight around Cullen's waist and he leaned closer, tilting his head back. 

"Buncha fags! Get the fuck outta here, nobody wants to see it!" A harsh voice shattered the moment, and Dorian's stomach roiled as the words sank in. He'd been called worse, but here, in Cullen's arms, it hurt. 

Cullen tensed, turning and glaring. "Mind your own business," he warned in a low growl. Their harasser blinked and scurried off in the face of the fierce scowl Cullen wore, and Dorian found his own hand clenched in a fist.

Dorian turned to Cullen's shoulder, sighing dejectedly as he sagged. Cullen's arms went around him, pulling him close. 

"Are you alright, Dor?" Cullen asked softly, laying a gentle kiss against his hair.

"I'm fine, I just… Well. I suppose I'm used to such comments." He shrugged dismissively, but Cullen wasn't so easily dissuaded. 

"But not here, not since leaving?" he asked softly. Dorian nodded, slumping further, and Cullen unlocked the car, nudging him in while looking around carefully. He rounded the end of the car and got in, and soon they were on their way.

Dorian was quiet, pensive, and Cullen looked for a way to draw him out. Finally, he reached over and took Dorian's hand, and tugged him closer, coaxing him into the middle seat of the bench. Stretching an arm around his shoulders, he smiled down at Dorian for a moment.

"Ready?" he asked, and Dorian shrugged, uncertain. Cullen hit the release, and the roof cracked open, folding back and revealing the night sky. He drove them out of town, parking near a field, and hopped out to get a blanket from the trunk. He draped it around Dorian and cuddled close, chuckling as his soulmate shifted the blanket so it was around both their shoulders. Dorian leaned back on Cullen’s shoulder, staring up at the stars.

“It’s reassuring, but disconcerting, to see the same stars as in Tevinter,” he commented lightly. “Keeps me from being too homesick, though the backstabbing, bigotry, and elitism are hard to replace.”

“But your friends, your career…” Cullen prodded gently, and Dorian sighed, closing his eyes.

“Yes. Those I miss.” He turned towards Cullen then, seeking his lips. “But I’ve new friends, Evelyn and Bull, and I have a new career here as the resident rebellious archivist.” He kissed Cullen softly. “And I have  _ you, _ amatus.”

“Yes,” Cullen murmured. “Yes, you do.”

They continued to kiss softly, gently, until the dropping temperature made Dorian shiver. “Take me home, Cullen, I’m cold.”

Cullen turned on the car and replaced the roof, then hit the heater. Driving back through the city, he got to their apartment building and pulled in to park his car. When they got into the elevator, Cullen hesitated over the floor button.

“Rescinding the offer from earlier, amatus?” Dorian asked teasingly, and Cullen chuckled softly.

“Not at all. I didn’t want to presume you were still in the same frame of mind.”

Dorian hit the button for the eighth floor and pinned Cullen to the wall of the elevator, nibbling at his throat and toying with the buttons of his shirt. By the time the elevator doors opened Cullen found Dorian had half the buttons undone, and he gave a throaty chuckle as he backed Dorian out of the elevator and down the hall. Cullen swiftly unlocked the door and Dorian shoved him forward playfully. Cullen knelt to remove his boots, and Dorian locked the door, throwing the deadbolt and the chain latch to be certain they wouldn’t be interrupted.

When Cullen glanced up, Dorian had lost the vest, and was in the process of undoing his dress shirt as well. “In a hurry, lover?” he teased as he stood, hauling his shirt over his head and pulling Dorian roughly into his arms. Dorian gasped and fell against him, kicking off his shoes as Cullen held his weight seemingly effortlessly.

“I have an idea or two,” Dorian murmured, nuzzling at Cullen’s throat and pulling the despised elastic from Cullen’s hair. Moving slowly, he drew his fingers through Cullen’s hair, undoing the braid until Cullen’s hair fell in thick waves to his shoulders. Cullen’s eyes fluttered shut and his head lolled back on his neck. A moment later Cullen gasped as Dorian bent and wrapped his arms around his thighs, lifting him and carrying him down the hall. As Dorian nudged open the door to the bedroom, Cullen felt himself starting to slip and he laughed as he scolded his lover.

“Put me down before you drop me!” Cullen teased, wrapping his legs around Dorian’s waist. Dorian kicked the door shut and pressed Cullen against it, and leaned in for a kiss. Cullen gasped as Dorian shifted his weight, hiking him higher in his arms and grinding against him. Dorian worked his way over Cullen’s throat and along his collarbone, nipping and sucking a mark in the hollow of his throat. Cullen groaned, a low heat sparking in his gut and he fumbled with Dorian’s buttons, trying to strip his shirt from him. The fabric caught on his shoulders, the sleeves binding on his arms. It was impossible. Instead, Cullen reached for his own belt, undoing it and the fly to his pants before seeking Dorian’s mouth once more. Dorian groaned against his lips, his tongue delving past and tangling with his as he carried Cullen across the room to the bed. He gave a mighty shove, tossing Cullen to the middle of the bed and he bounced as he landed. 

Dorian was on him in a heartbeat, hauling his jeans down his legs and groaning at the sight of Cullen bare and hard. They kissed passionately, desperately, and Cullen reached for Dorian’s belt. Undoing it quickly, he undid his slacks, shoving at them impatiently. Dorian kicked them loose and ground against him, and Cullen groaned at the feeling of silk against his skin. He stroked his hands down Dorian’s back, catching on his shirt and wrapping it in his fist with a mischievous grin. Trapping Dorian’s arms in his sleeves, he pulled him upright and laved his tongue over a nipple, toying with the ring until his lover was writhing on his lap. Dorian rolled his shoulders and Cullen let go of the shirt, letting Dorian slip out of it. 

“Cullen, amatus…” Dorian breathed against his skin as they came together again, their bodies rocking in time to their heartbeats. Cullen nipped at Dorian’s earlobe and his lover cried out, grinding down against him. “Amatus!”

“Beloved,” Cullen whispered, his voice gone low and hoarse. “Dorian, please…”

“Anything, amatus, tell me!”

Cullen pulled Dorian down into his arms again, lining up their bodies and giving a slow roll of his hips. “I want you,” he growled, rolling them both so Dorian lay beneath him.

“You’ve got me, darling,” Dorian assured him, raking his nails lightly down Cullen’s back and cupping his ass, thrusting up against him slowly. Cullen crawled down his body, dropping feather-light kisses along the way, and stopped to admire the royal blue silk of Dorian’s underwear. He traced a finger from the head down the length of his cock. 

“Dorian,” he murmured, kissing his way down Dorian’s thighs as he slowly tugged the panties down his long, muscular legs. He crawled back up them, kissing his way over his hip, carefully avoid his cock. He kept going, worshipping Dorian’s olive skin with his lips and tongue until he reached his throat. There he set his teeth over Dorian’s pulse, giving a low chuckle at the whine he pulled from his lover.

“Cullen, you’re being a terrible tease, you know,” Dorian complained, reaching between them and grabbing their cocks in his long, graceful fingers. Rocking into Cullen, he moaned at the friction, then suddenly his hand was slick, palm sliding over their cocks. Cullen gave a low gasp, rutting down against his lover. 

“Please,  _ please _ Dor!” he begged, burying his face against Dorian’s throat again. “Maker, please, I want…  _ hnng!”  _ He rolled them again, pulling Dorian above him, his hands caressing the strong back and down to cup his ass. Wrapping his legs around Dorian’s waist as his lover stroked their cocks, Cullen tried again. “Make love to me!”

Dorian groaned, kissing his way along Cullen’s throat and reached down to tease at his entrance. His slick fingers teased over Cullen’s furled muscle again and again until Cullen found himself babbling, begging for more. Dorian’s storm-grey eyes darkened as his pupils widened, his face flushed with arousal. Cullen arched his back, curling his hips up and giving Dorian better access. He hooked his elbow under his knee, spreading himself wide, though he blushed at the wanton sight he must make.

Dorian slid down the bed, eagerly tonguing his rim, stroking his cock lightly. He was murmuring softly in Tevene as he drew back, kissing gently along Cullen’s thigh and Cullen shivered, his skin pebbling as Dorian licked a long stripe up his thigh and blew over it. “Te amo, amatus, pulchra viro meo,” he whispered the unfamiliar language against his leg over and over like a mantra, as though by repetition, the words would brand themselves on his skin.

“Dorian, love, please! I want you in me, Maker, please Dorian!”

Dorian nipped at his thigh, scolding him gently. “Patience, Cullen.” Cullen opened his mouth to protest that this was hardly the time for that, when he felt the new-familiar sensation of Dorian’s finger sliding into him. There was no burn at all and he begged for more. A second joined it, even as Dorian whispered “mea bella amans, _ te amo!”  _

Cullen was writhing and keening, his cock throbbing and nearing painful, when Dorian deemed he was ready. He crawled back up his waiting body, and Cullen pulled him in for a kiss, tasting himself on Dorian’s tongue and moaning. He broke from the kiss a moment later, shouting Dorian’s name as a thick, heavy weight breached him. Dorian rolled his hips gently and Cullen squirmed underneath him, trying to take him deeper, as deep as he could. “Yes, lover, fill me, Dor, I love… I love you!”

Dorian shuddered, capturing Cullen’s lips with his own and rocking their hips, thrusting slowly, gently into him. As Cullen’s body adapted and loosened further, Dorian drove into him a little faster, but still oh-so-gently, as though Cullen were made of crystal. Dorian angled his hips and Cullen cried out as he hit that sweet spot, even as his cock slid against Dorian’s abs. The double attack on his senses quickly drove him to the brink, and Cullen writhed, his hands clutching at Dorian’s back, sweat-slick and hot. He kissed his way from Dorian’s mouth, down his jaw, to nestle against his throat even as he shuddered and quaked. 

He could feel the ball of heat in his gut growing hotter, coiling tighter with every thrust, until it exploded, his body shaking as he came in great spurts of white, painting his and Dorian’s stomachs alike. Dorian gasped, his body seizing as Cullen clenched around him, and a moment later heat flooded Cullen’s body as Dorian filled him.

Dorian rested his head against Cullen’s shoulder, his breathing slowly evening out, until finally, he lifted his head. Cullen was startled to see tears in his eyes and wiped them away tenderly. “What is it, sweetheart?”

“You… you love me?” Dorian asked softly, his voice tightly controlled.

  
Cullen gave him a soft smile. “I do. I’ve a question though. What does ‘te amo’ mean?” Dorian blushed brilliantly red, and Cullen laughed softly as he pulled him into his arms again. “Before we fall asleep like this, pass me the towel, would you, love? I’m already stuck on you, I don’t need to be stuck  _ to _ you as well.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation
> 
> Te amo, amatus, pulchra viro   
> I love you, amatus, my beautiful man
> 
> mea bella amans, te amo!  
> My beautiful lover, i love you!


End file.
